Kansas Turfmastershttp://kansasturfmasters.com
Just another Rocket Cloud Sites siteTue, 01 Mar 2016 22:35:04 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8Does grass grow in the winter?http://kansasturfmasters.com/2016/02/19/does-grass-grow-in-the-winter/
http://kansasturfmasters.com/2016/02/19/does-grass-grow-in-the-winter/#respondFri, 19 Feb 2016 06:00:02 +0000http://turfmasters.rocketcloud.us/?p=382One of the questions I am asked frequently is why we fertilize lawns in the late fall. The grass is going dormant so why give it food. The picture below may help to answer that question. We recently had a utility service do work in our front yard and sod was needed after the work was completed. The sod was installed mid December. The picture was taken of that sod in late January. If you look closely you will observe many inch long white strings. These white strings are new roots that the sod is producing. This growth occured since the sod was put down six weeks ago. In that time we have had a mixture of temperate winter weather but also a 10 day period of very cold and a few days sub zero. In those days where the thermometer rises above freezing, while the grass leaves themselves appear dead or dormant, underneath the lawn is still quite active. This activity, illustrated here by the new roots produced by the sod, is why we fertilize late season. This new root growth will not only occur in sod, but in your existing lawn as well. Those lawns that have an ample supply of nutrients will grow stronger and thicker as they produce new roots, and once the spring sunshine warms the ground they will out perform those lawns that have been deprived of nutrients. So does grass grow in the winter? Absolutely.
]]>http://kansasturfmasters.com/2016/02/19/does-grass-grow-in-the-winter/feed/0When should I stop mowing my grass?http://kansasturfmasters.com/2015/11/10/when-should-i-stop-mowing-my-grass/
http://kansasturfmasters.com/2015/11/10/when-should-i-stop-mowing-my-grass/#respondTue, 10 Nov 2015 02:52:25 +0000http://turfmasters.rocketcloud.us/?p=358I am asked frequently this time of year how long will we be mowing grass.
It is November and typically we don’t think of mowing at this time of year.
The image below is of a lawn we mowed today November the 9th.
The question when to stop mowing can be answered by the same rule which tells us when to start mowing,
namely the 1/3 rule. This rule says that we should never take more than 1/3 of the growth off of the stand of grass. So then, the trigger to mow is when the growth exceeds 1 and 1/3 of the mowing height. When do we stop mowing? When the top growth fails to exceed this height. When will this occur? Not by the calendar, but when climatic conditions create an unfavorable environment for the grass to grow whether that is October or December.
]]>http://kansasturfmasters.com/2015/11/10/when-should-i-stop-mowing-my-grass/feed/0Soil testing in Shawnee Kansashttp://kansasturfmasters.com/2014/08/17/soil-testing-in-shawnee-kansas/
http://kansasturfmasters.com/2014/08/17/soil-testing-in-shawnee-kansas/#respondSun, 17 Aug 2014 02:50:59 +0000http://turfmasters.rocketcloud.us/?p=96Soil testing is the first step to any well maintained lawn. The good news about soil testing in Shawnee, Kansas is that the ground is usually very rich in nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Most soils need a “balanced fertilizer” such as a 10/10/10. These three numbers signify the amount of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) that are present in the fertilizer. As noted above, the latter two numbers (phosphorus and potassium) are likely already prevalent in your soil, so you probably only need to add nitrogen for most plants to flourish.

However, the amount of nutrients is only one aspect of soil testing. For example, is your soil type clay or loam? What is the Ph level of your soil? Is it compacted or lose? These are questions you need to ask now before you make the major time and financial commitment of lawn renovation or even maintenance of your current yard. These questions can be answered by a simple soil analysis which can be completed by your county extension office.

How to take a soil sample

Soil samples should be taken from several different areas of your lawn. Begin by digging down below the thatch level of your turf and take a small portion of the soil from 1 to 6 inches below the surface. Take several samples and place them in a plastic bag. Take one sample from the front yard and one from the back yard. The total amount of dirt only needs to be about 1 to 2 cups per sample. Take these samples to your local county extension office.

If you are soil testing in Shawnee, KS, you live in Johnson County whose extension office is located at 11811 S Sunset Dr, Olathe, KS 66061. Their phone number is (913) 715-7000. Soil samples start at $12 and there are a number of additional tests they can conduct as well. Click here for more info.

]]>http://kansasturfmasters.com/2014/08/17/soil-testing-in-shawnee-kansas/feed/0When is the best time to seed my lawnhttp://kansasturfmasters.com/2014/02/21/when-is-the-best-time-to-seed-my-lawn/
http://kansasturfmasters.com/2014/02/21/when-is-the-best-time-to-seed-my-lawn/#respondFri, 21 Feb 2014 02:53:24 +0000http://turfmasters.rocketcloud.us/?p=98Reseed in the Fall

Ever wondered, “when is the best time to seed my lawn?” Well, you’re in the right place.

Without a doubt, when considering lawn reseeding, fall is king. Reduced weed competition, ideal growing temperatures and winter root development are just a few reasons why fall is the preferred time to seed your lawn.

Many people however miss this narrow window or are not able to comply with the rigid constraints of watering a newly seeded lawn, and therefore fail to capitalize on this opportunity. If you are in this situation you might want to consider another somewhat overlooked but, in my opinion, very viable seeding seeding option.

Dormant Seeding

Dormant seeding, a process much like fall seeding, can yield impressive results without some of the drawbacks of the labor intensive requirements. Dormant seeding is a process of seeding your lawn in the cold off season months when the lawn is “dormant”. Seed is applied to the turf area and because soil temperatures are to low to germinate the seed lays idle until conditions are suitable for germination.

The advantage to dormant seeding is first that no watering is required, one of the most troublesome steps to reseeding. One of the advantages of the early spring months is that there is usually no shortage of precipitation. Secondly, as soon as the soil reaches ideal growing temps the dormant seed will be ready and waiting to germinate, but in a more natural state like the rest of the “dormant” seeds in the soil.

It is preferable that when you put the seed down just like in the fall run over the lawn with a vertical slicer to help create a seed bed for the seed. If you can’t run the slicer, throw out the seed anyway as the freezing and thawing that goes on in the early spring will naturally seat the seed in the soil.

Dormant seeding can be accomplished anytime from Thanksgiving up until early March, but if you can get it into the ground sometime in the December through February time frame you will realize better results.

A couple of drawbacks to winter dormant seeding need to be mentioned at this time. First, if you normally apply a preemergent weed control product in early spring, this could have a detrimental effect on the grass seed germination as well as the weed seed. Secondly, because weed treatment is not applied you will usually have a higher than normal weed content in your lawn. The upside is that in the long run you will have more grass than if you did nothing.

While winter dormant seeding is not a perfect process it is certainly one that can yield favorable results to those that otherwise might not have the opportunity to address this need, and is another viable option to address your lawn needs.

This time of the year you are probably not thinking of your lawn mower, but winter mower maintenance can save you both aggravation and money. Mowing is the single most time consuming and hands on part of lawn care. Every year there are a few things you should do to improve your mowing experience.

Beat the rush now, if you wait until March or April you could find yourself with a two or three week wait at your local lawn repair shop just to get a tune up. Some shops will offer a discount if you bring your mower in for service during the off season. This benefits them as they are able to keep their service personnel busy, and it benefits you with a machine that is ready to go at the first sign of green growth.

Do It Yourself Lawn Mower Maintenance

If you are a DIY kind of a person, now is a great time to take advantage of some of the intermittent nice days we get in January and February to go out to the garage and service your machine. When you do go out remember to address these issues.

First, sharpen your blade. The most overlooked step in lawn care is blade sharpening. A dull blade will tear as opposed to cut the grass blade, and be an entry point for disease and will deliver an unsightly finished look to your lawn. Sharpen your blade now, and again after the spring rush for best results.

Second, clean or change your air filter. As we mow lots of particulate matter gets thrown into the air. Your air filter will prevent that from entering into your engine and causing premature wear.

Change your plug. Your mower plug will probably last for years, but for two or three dollars you will be better off changing it now and avoid the frustration of waiting until it fails and then dealing with it at an inopportune time.

Change your oil. Some of the dirt from the combustion process will be missed by your air filter and make it in to your engine. This dirt will be tied up in the engine oil. Change this dirty oil for fresh clean oil at least once a season to keep your mower strong for years.

An ounce of maintenance prevention now will avoid a pound of aggravation later.
Happy mowing.